Bombay high court allows Nitin Gadkari to be felicitated at heritage park in Nagpur

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court has permitted the district collector to process the application seeking permission felicitate Union minister Nitin Gadkari at Kasturchand Park on May 27.

Local organisers headed by the guardian minister for Nagpur Chandrashekhar Bawankule will felicitate Gadkari on his 60th birthday on May 27 in Nagpur. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, BJP president Amit Shah, senior Congress leader Narayan Rane and another dozen chief ministers have been invited for the programme.

The court made it clear that the heritage park should not be damaged in the process and must be restored to his original state after the programme.

The court also said that the permission should be counted as granted under the MRTP Act, under which such locations can be used for such functions, 12 days in a year.

The Gadkari felicitation committee has sought this venue since many VIPs are expected to attend the function.

Traditionally, such functions have been organised at Kasturchand Park but following a successful PIL based on the media report about the plight of historical ground and its crass commercial exploitation the High Court has banned any function barring Maharashtra day, Independence Day and Republic day.

This put organisers and administration in a fix as no other suitable venue was available after which the application was moved to seek permission of the High Court.

Amicus Curiae Shreerang Bhandarkar demanded that no damage should be caused to ground or heritage site. The High Court also directed administration to put all conditions while granting permission.

First Published: May 13, 2017 23:52 IST